The festival is back for 2023 with an exciting look at the diversity of research and its impact on everyday life. Held throughout September, its calendar of events, workshops and webinar sessions gives young people, parents and teachers a peek behind the research curtain.

The programme in Scotland is brought together through a partnership between the University of Aberdeen, University of Glasgow, University of St Andrews and University of Strathclyde.

The Riverside Museum in Glasgow is the venue on 30 September for interactive activities designed to get you thinking. From the messy Really Small Science crew to the opportunity to build a boat, it promises to be an afternoon full of adventure and discovery.

In Aberdeen, the Hall of Mayhem is throwing open its doors on 30 September – also known as the Music Hall. The whole day is dedicated to making research real with hands-on activities, demonstrations and exploration of science, art and more.

The official Explorathon weekend runs from Friday 29 September to Sunday 1 October where events from across the globe take place. In Scotland however, events take place throughout September to build excitement in the run-up to the official weekend.

In Tayside, researchers are hitting the streets – and shopping centres – in the run-up to the big weekend as they pop up in Dundee and Dunfermline with a host of hands-on, fun-filled activities for the whole family on Thursday afternoons.

And the HerStory Makers competition taps into the international network as it uncovers the stories of female-identifying researchers across Scotland and Europe throughout the month. Aimed at inspiring the next generation, the online event also lets you vote for your favourite.

These are only some of the wide range of events being held in various locations. Take a look at the full events programme – and sign up for regular updates of new events through the Explorathon newsletter – here.

The website hosts a constantly updating events calendar where visitors can filter events by date, location, theme and university partner.

And of course, you can follow, like and share across all social platforms by searching for @ERNScot